Northwestern Athletics and Recreation
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Annual Report 2008-09
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Wildcat Athletics The 2009 Northwestern Annual Report was produced by the Athletic Communications Department. Concept and Design—Wesley Ellison
Dear Friends of Northwestern Athletics,
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hank you for your incredible support of Northwestern Athletics. To be certain, these are challenging financial times for everyone as our country endures its greatest economic test since the Great Depression. As our 2008-09 Annual Report for Northwestern University’s Department of Athletics and Recreation illustrates, we have some truly amazing student-athletes and coaches who continue to excel and raise the profile of Wildcat Athletics. As an important member of our core group of stakeholders, you have made a direct impact on each and every success that is outlined in the following pages. For that, we thank you! Clearly, this past year offered another true world-class experience for our student-athletes—academically, socially and athletically. Their accomplishments are highlighted throughout this publication. While we continue to create unprecedented athletic success, we are even prouder of our many academic achievements. Most notably, our 468 studentathletes completed the spring quarter with an average grade point average of 3.21—a record for an academic term at Northwestern. That’s simply amazing! Also, our latest APR and GSR figures continue to rank in the highest percentile for all Division I institutions. We earned a 993 APR score for the second-straight year and increased our aggregate APR to a school-best 985. Additionally, our student-athletes performed more than 5,300 hours of community service—a school record—and served 66 organizations from the Evanston and greater Chicagoland area. Athletically, we won two national team titles and one individual crown. Our women’s lacrosse team cemented itself as a true college dynasty after winning its fifth-straight NCAA title in record fashion. In addition, our women’s tennis team, which was ranked No. 1 throughout the year, won the ITA Indoor national championship, and in the process, became the first northern school to accomplish this tremendous feat. Individually, Jake Herbert returned from his Olympic redshirt year and thoroughly dominated the college wrestling ranks on his way to winning the NCAA championship at 184 pounds. Also, Jake was bestowed the Dan Hodge Trophy (college wrestling’s top performer) as well as the Big Ten Jesse Owens Award (Big Ten’s top male athlete). Those are two incredible honors. Led by our football and men’s basketball teams, it was a record year for our men’s athletic programs as seven of the eight teams gave Northwestern postseason representation. Our football team was one of five teams in school history to win nine or more games and played a thrilling
game at the Valero Alamo Bowl. Our men’s basketball and men’s tennis teams enjoyed marvelous turnarounds and both returned to postseason play. Fittingly, our men’s basketball victory at Michigan State was deemed the “Game of the Year” for all sports by the Big Ten Network. From a personnel standpoint, we signed Pat Fitzgerald to a new seven-year contract that will keep him and his terrific coaching staff on our sidelines for many years to come. We also hired Tracey Fuchs, one of the nation’s top field hockey coaches and arguably the best ever to play the game, and we are excited to have her join our Northwestern Athletic family. Additionally, we are saying goodbye to one of our most respected and successful coaches, men’s swimming mentor Bob Groseth, who is retiring from coaching after 20 years at NU. In closing, if you take nothing else away from our annual report, please know how important your support and involvement with our program is. Candidly, it is not by accident that the Wildcat Fund and our corporate sponsorships continue to grow despite the challenging times. It takes many bright and talented individuals—student-athletes, coaches, support staff and numerous constituent groups—committed to our department’s core values in order to create a truly special athletic department. Thank you for being a difference maker and for helping us create world-class experiences for our studentathletes! Go ’Cats!
Dr. James J. Phillips Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Northwestern University
President Henry S. Bienen On Aug. 31, 2009, Henry S. Bienen will step down as Northwestern’s 15th president. During his tenure, Bienen has been a loyal supporter of athletics, ensuring much of the success that the Wildcats have enjoyed over the past 14 years.
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hen President Henry Bienen arrived in 1995, the Northwestern community might have wondered if the demands of his position would permit him to think much about sports. The 55-year-old political scientist made quick work of that question. When the Wildcats went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in nearly 50 years, Northwestern’s first fan in Pasadena, Calif., that New Year’s Day in 1996 was Henry Bienen. Bienen has presided over an athletic renaissance as striking as any in Northwestern history. It has included success in Big Ten Conference football, a revamped stadium complex that includes a modernized Ryan Field and distinct success in a variety of varsity sports. The president’s interest in athletics certainly transcends the usual promises made to trustees. Just ask Mark H. Murphy, former Northwestern athletic director and now president of the Green Bay Packers. “The president’s weekly staff meetings always started with a breakdown of the weekend’s football or basketball game,” Murphy says. “Henry made it known that it was important that we have success.” Some college presidents love athletics, others don’t but regard it as a duty somewhat connected to fundraising. If you ask Bienen about the tie between sports and development, he’s apt to tell you about the opportunity he had to meet George Steinbrenner.
During Campaign Northwestern, Bienen heard about the Yankees owner’s fond reminiscences of his year as a Northwestern assistant football coach in the 1950s. It inspired Bienen to call on him at spring training in Tampa, Fla. Whatever else they talked about, it was a pure thrill for Bienen, a native New Yorker, to spend time in the owner’s box at Legends Field. Anyone who knows the president would acknowledge that being a mere spectator would hardly suit his character. When he celebrated his five-year anniversary as president, he was pictured in the Daily Northwestern on the squash court at the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, where he is still known for his mean crosscourt drives. Bienen’s identity as “a bit of a jock,” as he once called himself, is all positive, says Lee Huebner (WCAS62), a one-time faculty member at the Medill School and the School of Communication. “Sports became a metaphor for his sense of dynamism and energy,” says Huebner. Today, Northwestern sports fans recall with particular pleasure the day when Bienen personally announced the restoration of women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport in the year 2000. “Lacrosse is a perfect fit for us,” he stated with confidence. A few years later, the program began its run of five straight national championships. This article, by Jay Pridmore, originally ran in the winter 2008 issue of Northwestern magazine. Reprinted with permission.
Northwestern University
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Northwestern’s Facility Expansion During the Bienen Years 1996-97—Renovation of Ryan Field and construction of Trienens Hall, a full-scale, multipurpose indoor practice facility 1997—Leonard B. Thomas Lakeside Complex (home for field hockey and soccer) completed; new practice facility for basketball and volleyball added to McGaw Hall Fieldhouse 1999— Gleacher Golf Center constructed 2001-02—Combe Indoor Tennis Center constructed 2003-05—New Anderson Hall, which houses administrative offices, studentathlete academic services and coaches offices; FieldTurf football practice field constructed 2006-07—Lakeside Field renovated to include new lacrosse and soccer facilities 2007-08—Renovation of Sharon J. Drysdale Field 2008—Brown Family Basketball Center completed, which includes coaches offices, new locker rooms
Incoming President Morton O. Schapiro
President Bienen has been a staunch supporter of Northwestern athletics from the moment he took office in 1995. The President can frequently be found in the stands and on the sidelines at athletic events cheering (above) or singing the fight song (left). (Below) Bienen and incoming president Morton Schapiro cheer on the ’Cats at the 2008 Alamo Bowl.
n December 2008, Patrick G. Ryan, chairman of Northwestern’s board of trustees, announced that Morton Owen Schapiro, president of Williams College, professor of economics and one of the country’s leading experts in the economics of higher education, had been named president of Northwestern University. Schapiro, 55, will become Northwestern’s 16th president, effective Sept. 1, 2009. Schapiro has been president of Williams, located in Williamstown, Mass., since 2000. For six years prior to that, he was the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California, where he previously had been professor and chair of the economics department. During his last two years as dean, he also served as USC’s vice president for planning. He previously was on the faculty of Williams from 1980 to 1991 as professor of economics and assistant provost. On the athletics side, Williams College has won 11-consecutive NCAA Division III Directors’ Cup titles.
Academic Success This past spring, Northwestern student-athletes combined to recorded a department-best . Additionally, the football program recorded a 3.0 GPA for the first time in its program’s history.
GPA
3.21
Hilary Bowen (lacrosse) and Tyler Voigt (soccer), pictured here receiving their awards from Jim Phillips, Director of Athletics and Recreation, were bestowed the Director’s Awards for the overall highest GPA in the senior class. Tyler graduated with a degree in environmental sciences and has a GPA of 3.68 while Hilary graduated with a degree in human development and psychological services and has a 3.89 GPA.
Big Ten Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate
Wildcat Words
Academic Progress Rates
Michael Thompson Men’s Basketball
Northwestern earned an APR score of 993 for the second-straight year across all of its athletic programs in 2007-08, matching its highest score in the five-year history of the APR program. Northwestern’s four-year APR average is 985.
onal Yr.* n I Nati i t l u io Divis Avg.* NU M
ar#
le-Ye
ing NU S
Baseball
979
939
975
Men’s Basketball
971
934
1000
Women’s Basketball
989
966
992
Cross Country
988
969
1000
Fencing
991
967
967
Field Hockey
989
984
1000
Football
973
935
992
Men’s Golf Women’s Golf
991
967
1000
1000
975
1000
Lacrosse
998
979
991
Men’s Soccer
997
956
1000
Women’s Soccer
987
975
981
Softball
978
968
1000
Men’s Swimming
978
968
987
Women’s Swimming
993
979
1000
Men’s Tennis
1000
962
1000
Women’s Tennis
992
977
1000
Volleyball
995
973
1000
Wrestling
995
937
1000
* Denotes multi-year APR data (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08) # 2007-08 Northwestern single-year APR score
“It was a big adjustment academically for me my freshman year. But it was my academic advisors who got me the help and attention that I needed to succeed here. Their guidance, support and positive influence helped me get through the more challenging classes. The staff genuinely cares that you succeed in the classroom. Without their help, I don’t think I would be as successful as I am now.”
2008-09 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award Recipients^ Men’s Basketball Sterling Williams
Megan Ross Nicole Tilley
Football C.J. Bacher Phil Brunner Mike Dinard Mark Woodsum
Field Hockey Courtney Coburn Katrina Lynch Emily Kyle Sarah Marcincin
Men’s Swimming John Franklin
Women’s Golf Kelsey Lindenschmidt
Men’s Soccer Eamon O’Neill
Lacrosse Hilary Bowen
Wrestling Kyle Bertin Eric Metzler
Women’s Soccer Colleen Antas Jenny Dunn Amanda Hoffman Laura Janowitsch Alison Rubinitz Katherine Sampson
Women’s Basketball Jenny Eckhart Cross Country Carly Brown Katherine Cline Britta Helwig Alison King Anne Reihman Fencing Meredith Baskies Sarah Henning
Women’s Swimming Ellen Grigg Rachel Rys Genevieve Szymanski Women’s Tennis Lauren Lui Volleyball Ariel Baxterbeck
^Student-athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year and earn a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year.
A record-setting 184 Wildcats were named Academic All-Big Ten during the 2008-09 academic year Fall Academic All-Big Ten Honorees Women’s Cross Country Carly Brown Kate Cline Marcellee Fullwood Britta Helwig Allison King Madeline Rozwat Rachael Suffrin Megan Young
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Field Hockey Zoe Almquist Alison Bullock Courtney Coburn Alyssa Elmy Megan Jamieson Emily Kyle Katie Lynch Sarah Marcincin Courtney PlasterStrange Marnie Robbins Kendra Sirak Olivia Standa Stacy Uchida Football Colin Armstrong C.J. Bachér Doug Bartels Andrew Brewer Phil Brunner Corbin Bryant Scott Concannon Kyle Daley Stefan Demos Mike Dinard Adam Hahn Keegan Kennedy Zeke Markshausen Kurt Mattes Bryce McNaul James Nussbaum David Oredugba
Dan Persa Eric Peterman Brian Peters Kyle Petty Brad Phillips Josh Rooks Desmond Taylor Kevin Watt Mark Woodsum Men’s Soccer Pat Coleman Matt Eliason Geoff Fallon Drew Kotler Eamon O’Neill Drew Pavlovich Carl Pett Drew Ratner Brian Usinger Tyler Voigt Women’s Soccer Colleen Antas Jennifer Baumann Jenny Dunn Amanda Hoffman Leigh Jakes Laura Janowitsch Jeanette Lorme Jessica Palo Ali Rubnitz Kay Sampson Grace Weitz Volleyball Ariel Baxterbeck Elyse Glab Chelsy Hyser Naomi Johnson Kelly Keporos Sabel Moffett
Winter Academic All-Big Ten Honorees Men’s Basketball Mike Capocci Marlon Day Patrick Houlihan Jeff Ryan Matt Steger Sterling Williams Women’s Basketball Jenny Eckhart Chiana Hung Ellen Jaeschke Kaitlin McInerney Men’s Swimming Chris Doman John Franklin Brian Kerr Sean Mathews Kyle O’Brien Jake Vogel Women’s Swimming Stacy Congdon Kiersten Cooley Liza Engstrom Jill Forster Mary Beth Francis Hayley Fry Ellen Grigg Alex Kraus Tania Lyerly Caitlin Masney Erin Reilly Rachel Rys Kassia Shishkoff Kate Stephensen Genny Szymanski Caroline Walls Sara White-Delehoy Emily Wong
Wrestling Kyle Bertin Marty Gould Jake Herbert Robert Joyce Eric Metzler Jamie Smith Keith Sulzer
Spring Academic All-Big Ten Honorees Baseball Kenneth Avila Tommy Finn Matt Gailey Jake Goebbert Jim Grieco Matt Havey Eric Jokisch Chad Noble Jake Wilson Women’s Fencing Alexandra Arkin Meredith Baskies Irisa Chen Christa French Kayley French Sarah Henning Allie Keller Cristina Mazuski Sam Nemecek Courtney Park Sara Peck Megan Ross Lisa Sachs Nicole Tilley Whitney White Men’s Golf Jonathan Bowers Andy DeKeuster Matt Denison Josh Dupont David Lipsky Ravi Patel
Women’s Golf Jennifer Hong Rebecca Lederhausen Kelsey Lindenschmidt Innapha Tantanavivat Lacrosse Hilary Bowen Maggie Bremer Mary Kate Casey Laura Clemente Meredith Frank Caitlin Jackson Morgan Lathrop Colleen Magarity Brooke Matthews Kristin McCandlish Hannah Nielsen Kim Pantages Danielle Spencer Darby St. Clair-Barrie Softball Kelly Dyer Aly Euler Emily Haug Ashley Lafever Nicole Pauly Kelly Quinn Jessica Rigas Robin Thompson Men’s Tennis Marc Dwyer Philip Kafka Andrew McCarthy Peter Rispoli Alex Sanborn Alexander Thams Women’s Tennis Lauren Lui Maria Mosolova Samantha Murray Keri Robison Georgia Rose
Academic Accolades •
Kenneth Avila, Tommy Finn, Matt Gailey, Jake Goebbert, Jim Grieco, Matt Havey, Eric Jokisch, Chad Noble and Jake Wilson earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Junior Kenneth Avila was recognized as the overall male recipient of the 2009 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 14-35-1 Conference Record: 5-17 •
The Wildcats beat Notre Dame at U.S. Cellular Field 5-1. Senior Tony Vercelli led the team to victory with two home runs against the Fighting Irish.
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Junior Jake Goebbert earned Big Ten Player of the Week March 30, 2009.
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Sophomore Eric Jokisch earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Feb. 23, 2009.
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Ended the season with a sweep of Big Ten powerhouse Michigan at home.
PERSEVERANCE
Head Coach Paul Stevens
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The perseverance of our team this season was unlike anything I have experienced in all my years here at Northwestern. These young men, in the face of numerous trials and tribulations, never wavered. Their commitment to staying the course and facing adversity was very inspiring and helped them enjoy their successes that much more. This group never gave in and never gave up. In the game of baseball, it is all about how you respond. Even a .300 hitter fails seven out of 10 times. It is about remaining committed, working hard and believing in yourself, your teammates and your coaches. This group never quit. The way that they stayed together as a family and persevered made them a satisfying group to coach. The character of this particular team was something that I was very proud of. Off the field, their dedication was displayed by the fact they posted a cumulative grade-point average over 3.0 with nine individuals being named Academic All-Big Ten, as well as their work in the community.
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BASEBALL
BELIEF
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Head Coach Bill Carmody
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Mike Capocci, Marlon Day, Patrick Houlihan, Jeff Ryan, Matt Steger and Sterling Williams earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements
Overall Record: 17-14 Conference Record: 8-10 National Invitational Tournament •
The Wildcats engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in the country, going from eight wins a year ago to 17 this season and raising their Big Ten win total from one to eight. The 17 overall victories matched a school regular-season record and were just one shy of the top mark in program history.
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The campaign culminated in the program’s fourth postseason appearance in school history and first in 10 years as the ’Cats participated in the National Invitation Tournament.
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Individually, Northwestern had a pair of players earn All-Big Ten recognition in the same season for the first time since 1966 as junior forward Kevin Coble was named to the second team and senior guard Craig Moore was selected to the third team.
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Coble became the first NU player to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding in each of his first three seasons in a Wildcat uniform. Moore, the most prolific 3-point shooter in Northwestern history, finished fourth in Big Ten history in 3-pointers made and second in attempts. He concluded his NU career ranked first in school history in 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted and games played, fifth in assists, sixth in steals and 13th in scoring. Both Coble and Moore reached the 1,000-career point plateau during the 2008-09 season.
We took a big step forward this season. With so many young guys, this team grew up over the course of the year and came to believe that it would win every game it played, no matter the competition or location. We ended up beating the two top teams in our league on their home floors. They believed that the hard work in the summer and off-season would make a difference months later and it did. Our guys learned to push themselves in order to improve and to trust that their teammates would pick them up if they fell. We believe that one possession here or one rebound there can be the difference in a game or a season and that we always play as if everything were on the line. While we are happy with the successes of this past season, we know we can do so much more individually and as a team. Our team’s belief in themselves and in each other is the foundation of a winning attitude that will carry on to next year and beyond.
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Academic Accolades
Academic Accolades •
Jenny Eckhart, Chiana Hung, Ellen Jaeschke and Kaitlin McInerney earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 7-23 Conference Record: 3-15 •
In Joe McKeown’s first year as Wildcat head coach, NU won the most Big Ten games since the 2002-03 season.
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Sophomore Amy Jaeschke was named a secondteam All-Big Ten selection by the media and a third-team all-league pick by the coaches. Jaeschke became the first Wildcat to earn second-team honors since Megan Chawansky did it in the 1998-99 season. Jaeschke was also one of 50 women’s basketball student-athletes to be named to the Naismith Trophy early season watch list and was selected to participate in the USA Basketball 2009 Women’s World University Games National Trials..
INVESTMENT Head Coach Joe McKeown
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Since taking over the program last summer, my staff and I have tried to drive home the idea of investing in the right things in life—and that starts with the four years you spend as part of the Wildcat family. In order to invest in your future, you must be willing to commit whole-heartedly. You can’t test the waters cautiously, you have to dive in with all your heart and give 100 percent effort. Investment in yourself and in this program—and all we stand for—also means sacrifice. You must be willing to be a great teammate and role model. At Northwestern, we want all of these traits at the highest level. That’s what separates us as a program and as a university and what will ultimately lead to our future success.
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Academic Accolades •
Carly Brown, Kate Cline, Marcellee Fullwood, Britta Helwig, Allison King, Madeline Rozwat, Rachael Suffrin and Megan Young earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Northwestern was recognized as an All-Academic Team honoree by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. NU’s team GPA of 3.33 ranked fifth out of 11 women’s cross country squads in the Big Ten, which along with the Big East, led all other Division I conferences in number of All-Academic teams (11).
Athletic Achievements Conference Finish: 11th NCAA Regional Finish: 14th •
The Wildcats improved their team finish at the NCAA Regional meet for the second-straight year.
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Northwestern’s roster featured nine freshmen, including Sophie Ewald, who placed first for Northwestern in four different events.
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Northwestern topped the 32-team field at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Sept. 27.
UNFORGETTABLE Head Coach April Likhite
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As we look ahead to the 2009 season for Northwestern Cross Country, we are aiming to draw on the many lessons we learned from past seasons. For much of last year, our coaching staff emphasized the fundamental “must-do’s” involved with running cross country. This year, as we continue to pay detailed attention to what we need to do as individuals and as a team, our spotlight is on what we, Northwestern Cross Country, want to be! Each member of our program shares a vision for what we want to be on the cross country course, in the classroom and in the community. Too often, our sport is referred to as an individual one. But we know better; achieving team and individual success in cross country requires an environment where student-athletes, coaches and support staff rely on one another to push beyond our limits. In the coming year, we will continue to bring in quality individuals who contribute to what we want to be—determined, strong, focused—in order to achiever our ultimate goal: to be unforgettable.
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CROSS COUNTRY
Academic Accolades •
Alexandra Arkin, Meredith Baskies, Irisa Chen, Christa French, Kayley French, Sarah Henning, Allie Keller, Cristina Mazuski, Sam Nemecek, Courtney Park, Sara Peck, Megan Ross, Lisa Sachs, Nicole Tilley and Whitney White earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 34-7 Conference Finish: 3rd* National Finish: 7th •
Senior Sam Nemecek earned her fourthconsecutive All-America honor.
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Sam Nemecek won the Midwest Conference Championship title.
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Nemecek set a school record of wins with 430.
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Christa French, Kayley French, Sam Nemecek, Devynn Patterson and Whitney White was NCAA Championships participants.
* Fencing competes in the Midwest Collegiate Conference
RELENTLESS Head Coach Laurie Schiller
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The term ‘relentless’ describes someone who pursues a goal with all of their energy; a person whose focus is to accomplish a specific task and who won’t rest until it is done. In athletics, as in life, the goal cannot always be accomplished, and, while the women’s fencing team did not win the championships they hoped to this year, they were relentless in their pursuit of those goals. They conditioned, trained and competed relentlessly. We went after every opponent and fought every match through. More importantly, we did accomplish many goals, including having a conference champion and getting five out of a possible six fencers to the NCAAs. Champions must be relentless in their efforts and that is the spirit we invoked in this year’s team and that is what we got. Not getting all of their goals made them even more relentless in their off season conditioning and the prospect for even more success lies ahead.
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FENCING
Academic Accolades •
Zoe Almquist, Alison Bullock, Courtney Coburn, Alyssa Elmy, Megan Jamieson, Emily Kyle, Katie Lynch, Sarah Marcincin, Courtney Plaster-Strange, Marnie Robbins, Kendra Sirak, Olivia Standa and Stacy Uchida earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Courtney Coburn, Alyssa Elmy, Katie Lynch, Sarah Marcincin, Olivia Standa were named to the NFHCA National Academic squad.
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NFHCA National Academic team honoree (team GPA of 3.0 or higher).
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 7-13-0 Conference Record: 1-5-0 •
Senior Alexandra Quinn earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades in addition to earning honors as a member of the 2008 Longstreth/NFHCA AllWest Region second team, making it the seventhconsecutive year the Wildcats have landed a player on the all-region squads.
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Senior Emily Kyle led the Big Ten in total saves at 139 and a mark that ranked as the sixth-highest single-season total in school history.
FLY
Head Coach Tracey Fuchs
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In the six short months since our coaching staff arrived on campus in February, we have already witnessed incredible growth by our student-athletes, both collectively and as individuals. Each of them unquestionably has the competitive drive and the physical tools necessary to excel in a grueling and demanding sport like field hockey. Now, it is our mission to help them fly; in other words, find the strength to step on the field and put together all the pieces that will allow them to spread their wings and get off the ground. We as coaches could not be more excited by the challenge and look forward to sharing with the Northwestern community the moment when our young women realize just how limitless their potential is. We expect great things from this group of Wildcats on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Come fly with us!
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FIELD HOCKEY
CHARACTER
FOOTBALL
Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald
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Colin Armstrong, C.J. Bachér, Doug Bartels, Andrew Brewer, Phil Brunner,Corbin Bryant, Scott Concannon, Kyle Daley, Stefan Demos, Mike Dinard, Adam Hahn, Keegan Kennedy, Zeke Markshausen, Kurt Mattes, Bryce McNaul, James Nussbaum, David Oredugba, Dan Persa, Eric Peterman, Brian Peters, Kyle Petty, Brad Phillips, Josh Rooks, Desmond Taylor, Kevin Watt and Mark Woodsum earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Senior Phil Brunner was named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America first team selection, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 9-4 Conference Record: 5-3 •
Wildcats became the fifth team in school history to win nine or more contests in a season and earned a berth in the 2008 Valero Alamo Bowl.
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Junior Corey Wootton ranked among the nation’s leaders with 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors by the conference coaches and was also named a second-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media. He is the first Wildcat to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors since 2005. In addition, Wootton earned an honorable mention All-America nod by SI.com.
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John Gill, Keegan Kennedy, Sherrick McManis, Eric Peterman, Brad Phillips, Brendan Smith and Amado Villarreal earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades by either the media and/or conference coaches.
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Senior Eric Peterman earned several other honors, including the ARA Sportsmanship Award, AFCA Good Works Team and was a
semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, the academic Heisman. Peterman also was named Northwestern’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree for 2008, as well as the school’s Male Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
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Senior Tyrell Sutton earned his fourth-career All-Big Ten accolade with an honorable mention from the conference coaches.
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Freshman Jordan Mabin was named Sporting News All-Freshman first-team honoree, a member of the Phil Steele All-Freshman first team and a Rivals.com Freshman AllAmerica second-team award winner. He was also named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. In addition, freshman Vince Browne earned second-team honors from Sporting News and Rivals.com and freshman Ben Burkett earned a Phil Steele third-team All-Freshman selection honor. All three freshmen were named to the ESPN.com Big Ten AllFreshman team.
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Academic Accolades
We simply define character as who you are when no one’s watching. It’s simple to work hard. It’s simple to have a great attitude when you are around those who are your superiors or your peers. But when you are by yourself, when it is snowing in the winter and you are going through spring practice, or it’s 100 degrees during summer workouts, your character is defined by how hard you are willing to work, how much you are willing to invest and sacrifice to make Northwestern Football and Northwestern Athletics special. The backbone of our football program is our young men’s character because it revolves in all aspects of their lives. Socially, our young men give back to more ‘Cats in the Community programs than any other Northwestern football team in history. Academically, we’ve had an average of almost 50 players above a 3.0 consistently over the last year. Athletically, on the field, we earned nine wins and played in a postseason bowl game. The character of the Northwestern Football program is what we take great pride in, and is something we will continue to work on annually.
Academic Accolades •
Jonathan Bowers, Andy DeKeuster, Matt Denison, Josh Dupont, David Lipsky and Ravi Patel earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Big Ten Finish: 7th NCAA Finish: 29th •
Eric Chun was the first freshman to win the Big Ten title since Steve Stricker in 1986. Chun was the fourth Wildcat to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year since 1988 when the award began.
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Northwestern won the team title at the Kepler Intercollegiate in April. The win was Northwestern’s fourth at the tournament; NU previously captured the title in 1998, 1999 and 2006, and now is tied with Indiana for the second-most championships in the event’s history.
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The Wildcats made their 24th all-time appearance in NCAA postseason play and their 10th during the 13-year tenure of head coach Pat Goss. NU advanced to the NCAA National Championships for the sixth time under Goss.
PERSISTENCE Head Coach Pat Goss
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When other teams became discouraged under the toughest conditions, our teams’ persistence led us to some of our greatest victories. At the Kepler Intercollegiate, our team fought through tough weather on one of college golf ’s hardest courses to gain our first victory of the season. Then, at the Big Ten Championships, freshman Eric Chun became the first freshman to win the Big Ten Championships since 1986 by overcoming a US Open rough. He was the only player persistent enough to finish the championship under par. Our persistence this season was most evident at the NCAA Championships this past May when we advanced from the South Central Regional by out-dueling LSU on the final day of college golf ’s most difficult regional. To battle through the inconsistency of a young team dependent on the play and growth of freshmen and sophomores to be one of 30 teams to qualify for the NCAA Finals took persistent preparation, effort and belief. But nowhere is our team’s persistence more evident than in their pride of being a Northwestern student-athlete. Whether it’s the effort they put forth in the classroom, in the community or on the course, striving to compete at the highest level is evident in all they do.
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MEN’S GOLF
Academic Accolades •
Jennifer Hong, Rebecca Lederhausen, Kelsey Lindenschmidt and Innapha Tantanavivat earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Big Ten Finish: 4th •
Northwestern finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships in head coach Emily Fletcher’s first season.
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Northwestern finished among the top-10 in 10 of its 11 tournaments in 2008-09, capped by a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.
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Four different Wildcats placed in the top-10 individually, led by Jennifer Hong’s fifth-place finish at the Mountain View Collegiate, shooting 1-under par for the 54-hole tournament.
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Innapha Tantanavivat and Kelsey Lindenschmidt each recorded the first top-10 individual finishes of their careers, with Tantanavivat placing sixth at the Windy City Collegiate and Lindenschmidt finishing 10th at the Big Ten Championships.
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Northwestern made significant improvements in the spring season, lowering its stroke average from 941.8 in the fall to 917.6 in the spring.
GROWTH
Head Coach Emily Fletcher
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The idea of growth comes from several different areas when talking about our program. First, I think it represents our growth coming together as a team with a new coaching staff, and stepping up to the demands and new expectations asked of the players. Second, we’ve seen growth in each of the players’ individual games, improving from the fall to the spring as they worked on their fundamentals and mechanics. Lastly, we have experienced a growth in confidence as the girls began to believe in themselves. The future holds great things for these young women and our program.
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WOMEN’S GOLF
EXCELLENCE
LACROSSE
Head Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller
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Academic Accolades Senior Hilary Bowen was named to the ESPN the Magazine District V Academic All-District first-team for her second-consecutive year.
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Bowen also was named the ESPN the Magazine Women’s At-Large Academic All-American of the Year.
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Hilary Bowen, Maggie Bremer, Mary Kate Casey, Laura Clemente, Meredith Frank, Caitlin Jackson, Morgan Lathrop, Colleen Magarity, Brooke Matthews, Kristin McCandlish, Hannah Nielsen, Kim Pantages, Danielle Spencer and Darby St. ClairBarrie earned Academic All-Big Ten Honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 23-0 Conference Record: 6-0 (1st)* NCAA National Champions •
Northwestern won its fifth-consecutive NCAA title.
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Senior Hannah Nielson captured her second honor as the the Tewaaraton Trophy winner, the sport’s most prestigious award, marking the fourth-straight year a Wildcat has won. She was also a finalist for the Lacrosse Honda Sports Award.
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Northwestern won its sixth-straight American Lacrosse Conference championship.
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One of the major goals of our program is to get better every day. Whether its the next practice or the next game, it is crucial to be better than we were the day before. It is something the girls take pride in and ultimately what has led to their success. We don’t focus on what has been accomplished in the past. If you keep focused on what you have done, then you lose focus on what you can do moving forward. Our pursuit of excellence stems from looking at where we are today, and what is required by each of us to continue that pursuit.
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The Wildcats set NCAA single-season records for points (570) and goals (470).
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Katrina Dowd was named NCAA Championship MVP after setting a single-tournament record with 22 goals.
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Hannah Nielsen became the NCAA Division I single-game (10), single-season (83) and career (224) assist leader and was named a first-team All-American for the third time.
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Hilary Bowen scored at least one goal in 51 consecutive games—the fourth-longest streak in NCAA history.
* Lacrosse competes in the American Lacrosse Conference
FAMILY
MEN’S SOCCER
Head Coach Tim Lenahan
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Seniors Drew Ratner and Carl Pett were named to the ESPN the Magazine Men’s Soccer Academic All-America Second Team.
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Senior Drew Ratner received of the 2009 Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award, an award that recognizes one female and one male Big Ten senior student-athlete pursuing a postgraduate degree for achievements in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities and leadership. Ratner graduated from Northwestern this past December with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He has been accepted into a combined M.D/M.B.A. program to pursue a career in medicine.
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Pat Coleman, Matt Eliason, Geoff Fallon, Drew Kotler, Eamon O’Neill, Drew Pavlovich, Carl Pett, Drew Ratner, Brian Usinger and Tyler Voigt earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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NSCAA Team Academic Award recipient for the eighth-consecutive year
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Matt Eliason and Brian Usinger were both named to the 2008 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament all-tournament team.
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Wildcats reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second time in three years, beating Loyola in penalty kicks, recording a come-from-behind win at Notre Dame and knocking off fifth-seeded Akron before falling to national runner-up North Carolina, 1-0.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 15-5-3 Conference Record: 3-3-0 NCAA Quarterfinals •
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Sophomore Matt Eliason was named a first-team All-Big Ten honoree as well as a second-team NSCAA/adidas All-Great Lakes Region selection. In addition, Drew Ratner, Mark Blades and Misha Rosenthal earned second-team All-Big Ten honors, with Bladed being named a first-team all-region pick. Junior Mark Blades was named a third-team All-American as selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) making him the second Wildcat in school history to earn All-America distinction.
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Academic Accolades
Family, to us, is the greatest, strongest bond possible in the world. Once you are a part of a family, you are always part of that family. Once you enter the Northwestern Soccer family, you are a member for life, whether you are a player, coach, parent, friend or alum. Our program has achieved recent unprecedented success here at Northwestern, having been rated the fourth-best program in country over the last three years. It is our closeness as a group that has allowed us to achieve this elite level and a commitment to putting the Northwestern Soccer family first. It is a collection of All-Americans, role players, bench players and coaches who all believe they are a part of the best college soccer experience in the country. Our family bond and caring for each other creates success on the field, not the other way around. Off the field, we have achieved the NSCAA Team Academic Award for eight-straight years while being recognized by the NCAA for an APR in the top 10 percent of the country, including a perfect ranking of 1,000 this past year. Two Elite Eight appearances in the last three years, three-straight Top-10 rankings, eight-straight Academic Awards and a great group of parents, players, coaches and alums truly makes the Northwestern men’s soccer family something special.
Academic Accolades •
Senior Laura Janowitsch earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second-team honors.
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Colleen Antas, Jennifer Baumann, Jenny Dunn, Amanda Hoffman, Leigh Jakes, Laura Janowitsch, Jeanette Lorme, Jessica Palo, Ali Rubnitz, Kay Sampson and Grace Weitz earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements
Overall Record: 10-9-1 Conference Record: 5-5-0 (tie for 5th) •
The Wildcats’ earned their first 10-win season since 2004 and fifth in program history.
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Seniors Jenny Dunn, Laura Janowitsch and Jeanette Lorme were named All-Big Ten second-team honorees. In addition, freshman Nicole Duller earned All-Freshman team honors.
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Senior Jeanette Lorme earned All-Great Lakes Region third-team honors from SoccerBuzz Magazine.
LEGACY
Head Coach Stephanie Erickson
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Though the women’s soccer program had its first full class graduate from Northwestern just over 10 years ago in 1998, one might argue that our program is not old enough to have developed a legacy. But in fact, we believe deeply in our foundations which value excellence, integrity and family—both on and off the field. Our commitment, our work ethic and our beliefs are rooted in tradition. We understand that daily and know that we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us. Everyday, we work hard knowing that we are a part of something bigger. Once you become a part of our family, you are here for all time. We remember those who have laid the groundwork every time we put on our uniforms and honor those who have cemented our culture every time we spend ourselves on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Each day, we make decisions knowing that we are creating a living legacy. We are confident that those who come after us will honor our efforts and reach further success each and every year.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER
Academic Accolades •
Kelly Dyer, Aly Euler, Emily Haug, Ashley Lafever, Nicole Pauly, Kelly Quinn, Jessica Rigas and Robin Thompson earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 31-15 Conference Record: 14-6 NCAA Regional •
Senior Tammy Williams earned the Big Ten Player of the Year honor while Freshman Adrienne Monka won the title of Big Ten Freshman of the Year. This was the fifthconsecutive year the Big Ten Player of the Year is a Wildcat, and for the fourth time in the last six seasons, so is the conference’s Freshman of the Year. In addition, Willliams was a three-time NFCA All-American and one of 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
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Sophomore Michelle Batts earned her second AllBig Ten second-team honors and junior Nicole Pauly earned her third honor as a All-Big Ten third-team selection.
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Williams and Monka were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team AllAmericans. In addition, Williams was named a first-team selection to the Lowe’s All-Senior AllAmerica team based on the voting results of the ballot for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
BATTLE
Head Coach Kate Drohan
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This team took a lot of pride in its fight all year long, from the first inning until the last. There were some big moments and also some that were challenging, but this group always believed in itself and continued to battle. The four seniors have been an integral part of some of the biggest moments in program history. Their investment has had a huge impact on the culture of Northwestern softball while raising the bar for the program immensely during their careers.
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SOFTBALL
Academic Accolades •
Chris Doman, John Franklin, Brian Kerr, Sean Mathews, Kyle O’Brien, and Jake Vogel earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 5-7 Conference Finish: 8th •
Senior Eric Nilsson earned bids to the 2009 NCAA Championships in three individual events. He broke the Northwestern record in the 200 fly at the NCAA meet. In addition, Nilsson earned second-team AllBig Ten honors.
FOUNDATION Head Coach Bob Groseth
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This season truly was one of those “rebuilding” years and the goal was to use positive experience to lay the groundwork for the future of the program. With a smaller squad size, the emphasis as always was on performing at Big Ten’s, and overall it was a good meet. The guys had almost universal best times and—especially encouraging—on the last day, every swimmer except one scored to give the team a chance to move up in the standings. There is a lot to look forward to over the next few years as Northwestern marches back up the Big Ten standings.
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MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
After 20 seasons in Evanston during which he transformed Northwestern men’s swimming and diving into a legitimate national player, Bob Groseth will retire as the head coach effective Sept. 1, 2009, to become the interim executive director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The Wildcats brought home five national championships for Groseth, beginning in 2005 when Matt Grevers became the first ’Cat in 47 years to earn an NCAA crown with a victory in the 100 backstroke. Grevers repeated in the event in 2006 before capturing 200 backstroke gold in 2007, one of three NU national titles in that year. Mike Alexandrov broke a 10-year-old NCAA record to win the 100 breast while both Grevers and Alexandrov combined with Kyle Bubolz and Bruno Barbic to win the 400 medley relay, also shattering that NCAA mark in the process. Grevers went on to become an Olympic gold medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Groseth led Northwestern to 12 NCAA Championships berths, including nine-straight appearances from 2001-09. In fact, only twice after 1995 have the Wildcats failed to place a swimmer in the NCAA meet. Northwestern earned 71 All-America honors under Groseth, comprised of 51 individual and 20 relay awards. Groseth was named the NCAA Co-Coach of the Year in 2005. Jarod Schroeder, currently NU’s assistant coach, has been named Groseth’s successor.
Academic Accolades •
NU earned a 3.32 cumulative GPA to win a CSCAA Academic Team Award, and a staggering 18 out of 21 Wildcats who were eligible to receive the honor were named Academic All-Big Ten. These student-athletes include: Stacy Congdon, Kiersten Cooley, Liza Engstrom, Jill Forster, Mary Beth Francis, Hayley Fry, Ellen Grigg, Alex Kraus, Tania Lyerly, Caitlin Masney, Erin Reilly, Rachel Rys, Kassia Shishkoff, Kate Stephensen, Genny Szymanski, Caroline Walls, Sara WhiteDelehoy and Emily Wong.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 10-2 Conference Finish: 7th •
Northwestern recorded its most successful dualmeet season in head coach Jimmy Tierney’s 15 years while also breaking five individual school records.
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Sophomore Ellen Grigg recorded her thirdstraight top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships. She also broke several Northwestern school records in her swims at NCAAs.
AMBITION
Head Coach Jimmy Tierney
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This team had ambition throughout the roster. Whether it was the veterans or the younger group, this team had a burning desire to be really good. That motivation and hunger to achieve great things was brewing all year long, the team just did not have the confidence to pull off the big performance in the end. The ambition the group had this year will help hard work translate into results in 2009-10.
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WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
Academic Accolades •
Marc Dwyer, Philip Kafka, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Rispoli, Alex Sanborn and Alexander Thams earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Led the athletic department in quarter team GPA two out of the past three quarters.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 18-9 Conference Record: 6-4 NCAA First Round •
NU touted a remarkable turnaround, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament after going 7-17 overall, 0-10 in Big Ten play just one year ago.
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Northwestern competed in the NCAA Championships for the first time since the 2005 season.
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Assistant Coach Chris Drake was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
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Seven of NU’s nine losses came by a score of 4-3.
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The Wildcats recorded dramatic 4-3 wins over Middle Tennessee State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
EFFORT
Head Coach Arvid Swan
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100-percent effort 100-percent of the time is what is required to be on the Northwestern men’s tennis team. The team and the individual players are not asked to win, get a 4.0 or be perfect teammates. The execution of a shot in practice, the result of a match or the grade in a class is not the priority. Instead, our players are coached to give 100-percent physical and mental effort in practice, 100-percent competitive effort in matches and 100-percent focus in the classroom. This type of effort is not easy. There are no excuses with 100-percent effort because you are being asked to give whatever you have on that given day whether you are hurt, sick, distracted or tired. If our players prepare with 100-percent effort they will be relaxed and confident on game day because they have done everything they can to prepare. If they compete and fight with 100-percent effort in the match, they can be proud of the result—win or lose. If they give 100-percent in the classroom they can be happy with their grades because they gave it their best. 100-percent effort 100-percent of the time is what gives our program and team its sense of pride.
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MEN’S TENNIS
Academic Accolades •
Maria Mosolova and Sam Murray were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
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Lauren Lui, Maria Mosolova, Samantha Murray, Keri Robison and Georgia Rose earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 28-2 Conference Record: 10-0 (1st) ITA Indoor National Champions NCAA Quarterfinals •
The Wildcats won a Big Ten-record 11th consecutive conference championship and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
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NU was ranked No. 1 in the country from the preseason through the NCAA Tournament.
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Head Coach Claire Pollard was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, her fifth such career accolade.
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Sophomore Maria Mosolova earned her second Big Ten Player of the Year honor. In addition, senior Georgia Rose and juniors Samantha Murray and Lauren Lui earned All-Big Ten honors. Mosolova (singles), Rose (doubles) and Lui (doubles) also earned All-American honors.
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Maria Mosolova was selected as one of four finalists for the 2009 Honda Sports Award, presented annually to the top student-athlete in each women’s college sport.
GUTSY
Head Coach Claire Pollard
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Late in the third set of an important match, the outcome no longer rests on which player is more talented. Instead, it comes down to which player has more guts, which we define simply as your ability to play your best—and even raise your game to a new level— in the biggest moments. To be able to thrive with all eyes on you and with championships at stake—as one of our seniors, Nazlie Ghazal, did so memorably in the clinching match against Duke on the way to a title at the ITA Indoor Team Championship this season—is what we prepare our student-athletes for every day. We also truly believe that it takes guts to be the type of teammate and role model on campus that we demand our young women to be. The ability of our student-athletes to perform as well as they do academically while finding time to selflessly give back to the community in so many ways, while playing a year-round sport like tennis, is nothing short of gutsy.
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WOMEN’S TENNIS
Academic Accolades •
Ariel Baxterbeck, Elyse Glab, Chelsy Hyser, Naomi Johnson, Kelly Keporos and Sabel Moffett earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 8-23 Conference Record: 2-18 •
The Wildcats played 14 matches against teams ranked in the AVCA top-25 poll and faced eight teams which qualified for the 2008 NCAA Volleyball Championships.
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Elyse Glab was among the top six in the conference in assists per set at 9.74, while Kate Nobilio is second in the conference and 46th nationally in digs at 4.69 per set.
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Kate Nobilio became the Wildcats’ all-time digs leader in the season finale against Illinois, entering her senior season with 1,665. Her 556 digs in 2008 was the third-highest single-season total in program history.
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Chelsy Hyser closed out her Northwestern career ranked second all-time in hitting percentage (.297) and sixth in blocks (423).
PASSION
Head Coach Keylor Chan
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If you are going to distill life’s complexities down to one simple word or phrase, I would say that we all want to be remembered as having passion. Life’s golden nuggets are mined by those willing to plan, sacrifice, and endure a journey’s ups and downs. In the end, those people who have held firm to their core values are typically deemed passionate people. They hold the proverbial line when others would give up or move on. The feeling, attitude and actions of a passionate person are truly transforming, and it is this message that I hope our program projects. We have the honor of representing an institution founded on the highest order of excellence. Our goal is to simply couple actions with passion! When that is achieved people, teams, and organizations have an opportunity to move past the everyday norm and reach for the ring of success.
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VOLLEYBALL
DEDICATION
WRESTLING
Head Coach Tim Cysewski
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Academic Accolades Kyle Bertin, Marty Gould, Jake Herbert, Robert Joyce, Eric Metzler, Jamie Smith and Keith Sulzer earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
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Best overall Academic Progress Rating (APR) in the Big Ten for second straight year.
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Completed the season with seventh-best team GPA among all NCAA Division I wrestling programs (3.161).
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One of four wrestling teams in the country to have three NWCA All-Academic team honorees (Jake Herbert, Brandon Precin, Keith Sulzer).
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Herbert and Precin were among 17 All-Americans (out of possible 80) to also make All-Academic team.
Athletic Achievements Overall Record: 9-8-1 Conference Record: 2-5-1(8th) National Finish: 13th •
Senior Jake Herbert wons the 2009 Hodge Trophy Award as the sport’s top performer. He wons his second NCAA championship title at 184 pounds. His title makes Northwestern the only school in the country to have had an NCAA individual champion in each of the three past seasons. He also won the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year award.
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Herbert was named the Jesse Owens Award winner as the Big Ten Conference’s best male athlete across all sports and all member institutions.
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Junior Brandon Precin earned All-America honors for the second time in his career.
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The Wildcats’ four NCAA qualifiers post a combined record of 14-5 at NCAAs, notching the highest team winning percentage for a school at the 2009 championships.
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Success in wrestling comes only with complete and unwavering dedication to the lifestyle that our sport demands. From the moment a wrestler wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep, he must be dedicated to the life choices necessary to become a champion at Northwestern— that includes eating right, training as hard as possible every time out on the mat, giving 100 percent in the weight room, excelling in academics and dedicating oneself to getting better when nobody is watching. Many of our athletes come to NU with aspirations of wrestling in the Olympics and qualifying for world teams after graduation and our staff is dedicated to providing an environment where they can achieve their goals. We believe this mindset to be the driving force behind Northwestern becoming the only school in the country to produce an individual national champion each of the last three seasons and why NU has featured multiple All-Americans in four-straight years. Equally as important, the dedication of our student-athletes in the classroom is the reason that our program received the No. 1 Academic Progress Ranking in the nation last year. Succeeding in the best wrestling conference in the country while representing an academic institution the caliber of Northwestern requires year-round dedication to your team, your studies and your values.
Senior Recognition Awards
Northwestern’s Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year Nominee—Jake Herbert The Jesse Owens Award is given annually to the outstanding male athlete in the Big Ten.
Northwestern’s Big Ten Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year Nominee—Hannah Nielsen The Suzy Favor award is given annually to the outstanding female athlete in the Big Ten.
Northwestern’s Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients—Sam Nemecek, Eric Peterman
The Big Ten Medal of Honor is given annually to one graduating male and female student-athlete of outstanding academic and athletic talent.
N Club Performance Award—Tyrell Sutton, Tammy Williams
The N Club Performance Award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete in recognition of “spectacular and outstanding” athletic performance by a graduating senior letter award winner.
N Club Achievement Award—Craig Moore, Eric Nilsson, Georgia Rose
The N Club Achievement Award is given to the student-athletes who have exhibited the qualities of good citizenship, significant academic achievement and outstanding athletic performance.
Billy McKinney Award—Prince Kwateng, Carl Pett
The Billy McKinney Award is presented to the male student-athlete who has exhibited exemplary leadership qualities, constant (110 percent) effort, and a positive attitude that, in his coach’s estimation, makes him a “coach’s dream.”
Lisa Ishikawa Award—Meredith Frank, Nazlie Ghazal
The Lisa Ishikawa Award is presented to a female student-athlete who has exhibited outstanding leadership ability and selfless dedication to team goals; Ishikawa’s determination and positive attitude on the softball diamond led her to perform above and beyond the expected.
Northwestern’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Recipients—Annie Bosslet, Eric Peterman
The Big Ten Sportsmanship Award is given to one male and female student-athlete who displays exemplary sportsmanship and is a key contributor in the community.